HANS HUBER (1852-1921): Sextet for Piano, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon in B Flat, Quintet for Piano, Flute, Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon in E Flat, Op. 136.

Description: It's a long time since we finished with Huber's symphonies but we now at least have something else to remind us of those very satisfying works. Dating from 1898 and 1914, these two works for piano and winds have the "outdoorsy" quality one expects from wind instruments, dashes of Swiss (and Alsacian) folk-songs, a Brahmsian echo in their slow movements, dashing scherzos, attractive motifs and melodies and, in all, fine examples of a tradition which is exemplified, for me at least, by Rimsky-Korsakov's sextet. Kaspar Zehnder (flute), Christian Hommel (oboe), Stephan Siegenthaler (clarinet), Olivier Darbellay (horn), Matthias Bühlmann (bassoon), Konstantin Lifschitz (piano).